Former LISD Tech students earn FFA's top national honor

PALMYRA TWP. — Two former Lenawee Intermediate School District Tech Center students have received the Future Farmers of America top national award.

Ashley Frye and Allison Pape, both of Palmyra Township, each received an American FFA Degree at the 85th National FFA Convention & Expo, Oct. 24-27 in Indianapolis.

A total of 3,247 FFA members nationally, 63 of them from Michigan, received the American FFA Degree this year. That represents 0.5 percent of the more than 557,000 FFA members nationwide.

Frye and Pape are both 19. Frye graduated from Deerfield High School in 2011, and Pape graduated from Madison High School the same year.

"It was very rewarding but also kind of sad because this means that part of my life is over," Pape said of the award. She now is pursuing an agribusiness management degree at the University of Northwestern Ohio, Lima, Ohio, and she works part-time at the Cutler-Dickerson Co. in Adrian.

"It's really cool. It's a really unique opportunity to get (the award)," said Frye, who is pursuing a degree in environmental studies and agriscience with a concentration in education at Michigan State University.

Both belonged to FFA at the LISD Tech Center.

American FFA Degree recipients must, among other accomplishments, have earned and productively invested at least $7,500 in a supervised agricultural experience program or earned and productively invested $1,500 and worked 2,250 hours beyond school hours in such a project.

Pape started her own flock of sheep after buying four Suffolk ewes from her father, who also raises sheep. She developed the herd and sold sheep to other FFA and 4-H members for showing at the Lenawee County Fair. She now has a flock of 13 ewes and one ram.

Frye researched broiler chicken diet and health and developed her own chicken feed mix using dry distillers grain, a protein-rich by-product of the process that makes ethanol from corn. She won monetary awards for her project in science competitions.

Frye also bought and sold livestock, which she showed at the Lenawee County Fair.Besides their supervised agricultural projects, FFA American Degree winners must have received an FFA Chapter Degree and FFA State Degree; completed a certain number of high school or college agricultural classes; completed 50 hours of community service work; have been FFA members for three years; graduated from high school a year prior to the national FFA convention at which they receive the degree; and meet other requirements such as demonstrating leadership skills.

Frye and Pape say they are now considered FFA alumni.

Both said participation in FFA helped them clarify their career goals. Pape said she would like to manage an agriculture-oriented store like the one she works in at Cutler Dickerson.

"I like the customer interaction," Pape said. "I like learning about new nutritional (ideas) for animals."

"Basically, I want to teach agriculture," Frye said.

Ken Bollinger, retired LISD Tech agriculture teacher and former FFA adviser, said Frye and Pape are both deserving of the top FFA honor. About 15 people from the LISD Tech Center and its predecessor, the Lenawee Vocational-Technical Center, have received the FFA American Degree since 1984, Bollinger said.

"They really were very active in FFA and they took a lot of pride," Bollinger said.

Frye and Pape said the benefits of being in FFA went beyond strictly agricultural pursuits.

"I think the biggest thing was how it changed me as a person," said Frye, who described herself as going from shy to being president of the LISD Tech FFA chapter.

"It helped me come out of my shell in ways I hadn't thought of before," including meeting more people and developing leadership skills, Pape said.